Does Twitch-Spindle Coupling Differ Between N2 and N3 Sleep in 6-Month-Olds?

Taylor G Christiansen; Greta Sokoloff; Hailey C Long; Olivia K Kopp; Lydia K Karr; Mark S Blumberg

doi:10.1093/sleep/zsaf410

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Does Twitch-Spindle Coupling Differ Between N2 and N3 Sleep in 6-Month-Olds?

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Does Twitch-Spindle Coupling Differ Between N2 and N3 Sleep in 6-Month-Olds?

Taylor G Christiansen, Greta Sokoloff, Hailey C Long, Olivia K Kopp, Lydia K Karr and Mark S Blumberg

Sleep (New York, N.Y.), Vol.49(4), zsaf410

04/2026

DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsaf410

PMID: 41432252

Appears in UI Libraries Support Open Access

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Abstract

Twitches are discrete movements that characterize REM sleep. However, recent work showed that twitches also occur during NREM sleep in human infants beginning around 3 months of age, a time when sleep spindles and the cortical delta rhythm are also emerging. Further, NREM twitches are coupled with sleep spindles, suggesting a unique contribution to sensorimotor development. Given that NREM sleep is composed of distinct substages, we investigated whether twitching and twitch-spindle coupling are differentially expressed during N2 and N3 sleep. In 6-month-old human infants (n=21; 7 females), we recorded EEG, respiration, and video during daytime sleep. We found high-intensity twitching during N2 and REM but not N3 sleep. In contrast, sleep spindles exhibited similar temporal characteristics during N2 and N3. Also, despite differences in the intensity of twitching during N2 and N3, significant twitch-spindle coupling occurred in both stages. Finally, the rate of twitching was inversely related to delta power across NREM periods. These findings suggest that although twitching occurs during REM, N2, and N3 sleep at this age, its expression is compatible with some sleep components (e.g., rapid eye movements, sleep spindles) but not others (e.g., cortical delta), highlighting the continuing need to better understand the dynamic organization of sleep and its individual components in early development.

myoclonic twitches

development

sleep spindles

infancy

sensorimotor system

delta oscillations

UIOWA OA Agreement

Details

Title: Subtitle: Does Twitch-Spindle Coupling Differ Between N2 and N3 Sleep in 6-Month-Olds?
Creators: Taylor G Christiansen - University of Iowa
Greta Sokoloff - University of Iowa
Hailey C Long - University of Iowa
Olivia K Kopp - University of Iowa
Lydia K Karr - University of Iowa
Mark S Blumberg - University of Iowa
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Sleep (New York, N.Y.), Vol.49(4), zsaf410
DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsaf410
PMID: 41432252
NLM abbreviation: Sleep
ISSN: 1550-9109
eISSN: 1550-9109
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Grant note: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: R01-HD104616, R21-HD095153
This research was supported by grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01-HD104616; R21-HD095153) to M.S.B. We thank Jimmy Dooley for help with MATLAB scripts, and Becky Yu, Hayley Chappel, and Daylan Carney for help with behavioral scoring.
Language: English
Electronic publication date: 12/23/2025
Date published: 04/2026
Academic Unit: Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
Record Identifier: 9985093889302771

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